|
HDFS
Home >> Faculty
and Staff >> Bob Fetsch >> Current
Issues >> Family Stress and Depression
|
Farm
and Ranch Family Tough Times Resource List
By
Robert J. Fetsch, Bob Seiz, Toni Zimmerman,
Eleanor Downey, & Sherri Lester
Colorado State University
July 17, 2006
|
|
Dear Farm or Ranch Family,
You and I know that these are terribly tough times. We want
to get you information that you can trust. Most farm and ranch
families are strong, independent, self-sufficient, and resilient.
But sometimes they are too independent. They are too independent
when they get too stressed, too angry, or too depressed and
suicidal and don't ask for help. High financial stress can
lead to high personal and interpersonal stress. When stress,
anger, or depression levels get high, call for help. There
are trustworthy resources that farm and ranch families can
use to bounce back from a tough time. Ask your friends and
neighbors--who is a good person to talk with and to help families
through a tough time like yours.
We want to introduce you to some of the professionals who can
help farm and ranch families in crisis. Attached is a list of
some of the resources that ranch and farm families have found
useful. If you need more information or have more questions,
please give me a call.
Sincerely,
Robert J. "Bob" Fetsch,
Extension Specialist
Human Development & Family Studies
970/491-5648 |
"No man [or woman] is an island entire of self;
every man [and woman] is a piece of the continent, a
part of the mainland. …Any man's [or woman's] death
diminishes me because I am involved in mankind, and
therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
it tolls for thee."
--John Donne
|
Informational Resources for Farm and Ranch Families in
Tough Times.
These Colorado State University Cooperative Extension (CSUCE)
Fact Sheets are available from your local CSU Cooperative Extension
agent or from the World Wide Web at http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/consumer/pubcons.html#relat
- Managing stress through tough times (no. 10.255)
- Making decisions and coping well with drought (no. 10.256)
- Dealing with our anger (no. 10.236).
- Dealing with couples' anger (no. 10.238).
- Manage anger through family meetings (no. 10.249).
- Youth and suicide (no. 10.213).
- Clinical depression in later life (no. 10.251).
- Suicide in later life (no. 10.252).
- Farming and ranching: Health hazard or opportunity?
(no. 10.201).
- Ranching and farming with family members (no. 10.217).
- Transitions and changes: Who copes well? (no. 10.215).
- Transitions and changes: Practical strategies (no. 10.214).
- Dealing with others' anger (no. 10.237).
- Children's anger and tantrums (no. 10.248).
- Evaluating Family Life Web Sites (no. 10.253).
Farm Crisis Web Site.
http://www.reeusda.gov/1700/whatnew/crises.htm
Depression is a serious, life-threatening condition that affects
an estimated 19 million Americans. Knowing the signs and symptoms
can help people know when to seek professional help. Mind Health
Tracker may help people figure out how serious their symptoms
are. http://www.mediconsult.com/defeatdepression
An online depression-screening test may help people figure out
how serious their symptoms are. A free screening test is available
at the fillowing web site:
http://www.med.nyu.edu/Psych/screens/depres.html
Free depressioin screening assessments are also available at
the following Colorado facilities:
| - Jefferson Center for Mental Health, Black Hawk |
303-425-0300 |
| - Depressive and Manic Depressive Association, Colorado
Springs |
719-477-1515 |
| - Mental Health Association, Colorado Springs |
719-633-4601 |
| - Counseling and Educational Services Clinic, Denver |
303-871-3230 |
| - Interactions Counseling, P.C., Englewood |
303-796-7908 |
Remember to check the front of your local phone book to see
if there is a place closer to you.
Consultative Resources for Ranch and Farm Families in Tough
Times
- Toni Schindler Zimmerman, Ph.D., has worked with ranch
and farm families with Bob Fetsch from CSUCE. They have
published their work in the Journal of Marital and Family
Therapy and Family Relations. Their clinical work has helped
numerous farm and ranch families to resolve conflicts in
rural settings (970/491-6922).
- Bob Seiz, M.S.W., Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of
Social Work at Colorado State University (CSU). He has over
30 years of professional experience and is licensed and
board certified in clinical social work. He has extensive
experience in mental health and human service delivery to
individuals and families who need crisis management and
intervention. He and Dr. Eleanor Downey conducted research
on safety and health attitudes and practices of migrant
and non-migrant farm families. In doing their research,
Dr. Seiz listened at length to Colorado farmers and their
families about their personal attitudes, perceptions, concerns,
and practices for maintaining their safety while working
in farming. Such intimate exposure provided him with a heightened
sensitivity to the unique environment and multiple demands
that farmers and ranchers face in modern day agriculture
(970/491-4810).
- Eleanor Downey, M.S.W., Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor
of Social Work at CSU. She has 30 years of experience working
with children and families including crisis intervention,
family therapy, marital counseling, and community education
(970/491-0996).
- Jennifer Aberle is a second-year graduate student in the
Marriage and Family Therapy Program at CSU. She was born
and raised in North Dakota and has since moved to Colorado.
Her grandparents own and lease several hundred acres in
south central North Dakota to a farmer, and her father grew
up on this farm. Their family continues to have strong ties
to the farm and community. Members of the farming community
surrounded Jennifer throughout her schooling, and many of
her close friends still live on farms and ranches. Today,
she and her husband keep close watch on farming and ranching,
particularly in North Dakota (970/491-5991).
- Kelly Walker-Haley has completed her coursework for
marriage and family therapy at CSU. She has had multiple
sclerosis for 12 years. She has worked with farm and ranch
families through AgrAbility with Dr. Bob Fetsch. (AgrAbility
is a conjoint program between CSUCE and Easter Seals Colorado
that assists farm and ranch families with disabilities
who want to remain in agriculture [970-491-5648 or 800-335-2598]).
For three years Kelly has worked with individuals, couples,
and families in crisis (970-225-6902).
- The CSU Marriage and Family Therapy Clinic staff several
therapists each year. Currently the Marriage and Family
Therapy Clinic has 14 therapists. Each of the therapists
is becoming skilled at working with situations that involve
divorce, family violence, family/couple communication,
grief and loss, parenting, remarriage and blended families,
school difficulties, and other life stresses. For more
information, or to contact any of the current therapists,
please call Dr. Toni Zimmerman at 970-491-6922.
- 1-800-SUICIDE is the Colorado Helpline. It is a suicide
prevention, crisis intervention, depression management,
and referral telephone number for people who live in Colorado.
- Covenant House 9 Line (800/999-9999) helps people in all
kinds of crises to find local help.
- Crisis Helpline (800/233-4357) helps people find referrals
when in a crisis.
- Boys Town National Hotline (800/448-3000) helps parents
in crisis with their children and provides referrals.
- Arvada-Jefferson Center for Mental Health, 5265 Vance
St., Arvada, CO 80002 (303/425-0300). (24 hours, 7 days
a week.)
- Aurora-Comitis Crisis Center, 9840 E. 17th Ave., Aurora,
CO 80040 (303/343-9890). (24 hours, 7 days a week.) They
help people mostly with housing, but they respond to all
crises and make referrals.
- Boulder-Emergency Psychological Services, 1333 Iris Ave.,
Boulder, CO 80304 (303/447-1665). (24 hours, 7 days a week.)
- Colorado Springs-Pikes Peak Mental Health Center, 875
W. Moreno Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80905-1795 (719/635-7000).
Suicide Prevention Partnership (719/596-5433). (24 hours,
7 days a week.)
- Ft. Collins-Suicide Resource Center, 7604 Colland St.,
Ft. Collins, CO 80525 (970/635-9301).
- Greeley-Suicide Education & Support Service of Weld County,
3700 Golden St., Greeley, CO 80620-2724 (970/506-2737).
(24 hours, 7 days a week.)
- Littleton-LIS'N, Box 170, Littleton, CO 80160 (303/860-1200
or 303/894-9000). (24 hours, 7 days a week.)
- Pueblo-Pueblo Suicide Prevention Center, 1925 E. Orman
Suite G-25, Pueblo, CO 81004 (719/544-1133 or 719/564-5566
Teen Connection). (24 hours, 7 days a week.)
- Westminster-Light for Life Foundation of America, P. O.
Box 644, Westminster, CO 80030-0644 (303/429-3530). (M-F
8:00 am-5:00 pm MTN time.)
Resources to Create Farm and Ranch Support Groups
- Robinson, J. W., Jr. (1982). Successful Farming Stress
and how to live with it. Meredith Corporation. Robinson,
J. W., Jr. (1983). Study guide for stress and how to live
with it. Meredith Corporation.
- Robinson, J. W. Jr. (1983). Stress and wellness home
study guide (Set of six audio cassettes). (Available from
Dr. Jerry Robinson, Jr., 305 Mumford Hall, University
of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801.)
- Williams, R. T. (1987, January). Neighbor to neighbor:
A do-it-yourself guide for organizing farm family support
groups. Madison: University of Wisconsin.
- Molgaard, V. (1985, October). Self-help groups (An 8-session
guide). Ames: Iowa State University Cooperative Extension
Service.
|
|
|
|
